Laura in London: KOI Ramen, Psycle & Brockwell Park

Hello everyone! It's the start of the week which means it's time for the third episode of my 'Laura in London' series. If you missed the last two, you can find them here and here.

Whether you're new to London or just looking for something fun to try, I hope these recommendations are useful. Do let me know if you try any of them out! This week I'm sharing one of my favourite places to eat on-the-go, my new-found love for an insanely high energy spin studio in Central London, and one of my favourite outdoor spaces to relax when I need some time to clear my mind.Where are your favourite places to eat, sweat and play in London? Share them with me in the comments below!

EAT

I love Pop Brixton. It’s a temporary community project that
turned a disused space in the centre of Brixton into a creative place for independent
retailers, restauranteurs and social enterprises to showcase their skills and
talents. There's a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere and some incredibly delicious food stalls in the colourful containers
that fill the space. I've tried a few different dishes from the various pop-ups here (it's right outside my gym, uh oh!) but one of my absolute favourites is KOI Ramen: a Japanese
ramen noodle bar with the best Gyoza in London (unofficially). The half-moon vegetarian dumplings
are unbelievably succulent – crispy on the bottom and soft on the top – they
remind me of Asia so much. I also love the delicious Miso Ramen: a vegetarian
soybean noodle soup. Meat-eaters are in for a treat too with the speciality Tonkotsu
Ramen dish: a creamy pork noodle soup that takes over 12 hours to cook using
traditional methods. And I just realised they are on Deliveroo. OH NO! Goodbye
bank balance, hello Gyoza!

Where? Brixton, 2 minutes from the tube station.

How much? Dishes vary between £5-9 - bargain!Best for... Supporting local
independent start-ups whilst tasting the deliciousness of South Japan.

SWEAT

Oh my gawd. I like spinning, in fact I love spinning. I
love being pushed to my absolute limits and getting a great burn at the same time. But this studio, THIS STUDIO, takes
it to a whole new level of intensity. The soundtrack to each class is
motivational and full of emotion with an infectious beat, the instructors are
inspiring and have the best stamina I've ever seen, whilst the neon lights over head make you
feel like you’re in a club rather than about to seriously sweat. I really like spinning in the dark. I feel like you can just sort of get lost in the music, not have to worry about how you look. The first class I signed up for was a 45 minute class. Or so I thought. It was actually 60 minutes of super sweaty spinning (lesson learned to always read the booking confirmation). It was so high energy. But it was so gooood. Psycle offer a variety of classes throughout the day from 6:30am- 8pm with different themes - there's even a Kanye themed class. KANYE! And they offer classes at different intensity
levels (45, 60 & 90) to suit your fitness levels too.

Where? I
went to the studio on Mortimer Street just by Oxford Circus station, but there
is a studio in Canary Wharf too.

How much? £20
a class, but introductory offers and bulk packages are availableBest for... Serious spinners.

PLAY

Brockwell Park

I love being outdoors, surrounded by green fields, towering trees
and wonderful wildlife. Whilst London doesn’t have an excess of green spaces, this
beautiful park just down the road from where I live is my favourite place to go
for a walk, to read my book, or – in the summer – have a picnic with friends. The
park also hosts some awesome community events, festivals and shows throughout
the summer, so it’s a great place for a day out. When I work from home, I always try to go to Brockwell Park at lunch time to clear my mind and get some fresh air. It's kind of bizarre because when you look one way, you see the park's historic buildings, gorgeous greenery and picturesque ponds, but the other way reveals the central London sky line, reminding you just how close the city is.

Where? Between
Brixton and Herne Hill

How much? Fabulously
free Best for... Breathing air that
isn’t toxic in London